In prior art vehicles, the door for the glove compartment is mounted for pivoting movement about an axis arranged on the lower edge of the glove compartment. Consequently, when the glove compartment is open, the door protrudes into the occupant compartment of the vehicle and thereby presents an obstruction.
It is the object of the present invention to modify a motor vehicle of the type described above to the effect that when the door of the glove compartment is in the open position it will not project into the occupant compartment. In accordance with the invention, this objective is accomplished in that the door is guided for movement on tracks arranged on both sides of the glove compartment, and is adapted for movement into an open position away from the glove compartment opening, i.e., into a position above or below the glove compartment, rather than into a position that will make it extend into the occupant compartment.
The advantages derived from a glove compartment door arrangement of this type are similar to those that a sliding door has over a hinged door.
When in the open position, the door will not project into the occupant compartment and take up space. The glove compartment door according to the invention, when in the open position, will not cause any obstruction of the occupant if it is adapted for movement into a position inside the dashboard. Only very little space will be occupied by the glove compartment door according to the invention if it is arch-shaped in profile so that its contours correspond to that of the dashboard.
The door arrangement will be relatively simple in structure if the guide tracks are disposed in the side walls of the glove compartment and if the door is provided with pins or small rollers which are adapted to engage into the guide tracks. The path of the door movement can be made to conform relatively close to the contour of the dashboard if two guide tracks are disposed on each side portion and are arranged in a partially overlapping relationship one behind the other.
Another characteristic feature of the invention is that each of the uppermost guide tracks has a first short portion which extends into the direction of the door. This arrangement will provide that the door, at the beginning of the opening movement, is initially lifted off the glove compartment, so that it can be displaced subsequently without rubbing on portions of the glove compartment or the dashboard.
To prevent the door from opening by itself on account of its own weight, the invention proposes that the door be biased in the direction of the closed position by means of at least one tension-type coil spring which extends into the inside of the dashboard. In the case of glove compartments that are partitioned into an upper and a lower shelf, the preferable arrangement is that the guide track be provided with at least one intermediate catch means so that the door can be retained in an intermediate position.
A very cost-effective overall arrangement is one wherein the door is provided on its inner side with laterally spaced apart inwardly directed brackets, two on each side thereof, with each of the brackets being provided with one pin or one little roller, and the tension type coil spring being fastened to the respective ends of the uppermost brackets and extending radially inwardly to the side wall of the glove compartment.
It should be appreciated that a variety of arrangements may be utilized in the practice of the invention. To convey the concept of the invention, one exemplary embodiment is illustrated in the drawings and described in the following.